Cold insulation member

ABSTRACT

The present invention is aimed at providing a cold insulation member capable of cooling a cold insulation target to a predetermined temperature zone. 
     A cold insulation member  10  includes a rapid-cooling layer  1,  which includes a rapid-cooling heat-storage material  1   a  for rapidly cooling the cold insulation target to the predetermined temperature zone in a predetermined time and a rapid-cooling heat-storage material accommodation portion  1   b  for accommodating the rapid-cooling heat-storage material  1   a,  and a temperature maintenance layer  2  which includes a temperature maintenance heat-storage material  2   a  for maintaining the cold insulation target in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer and a temperature maintenance heat-storage material accommodation portion  2   b  for accommodating the temperature maintenance heat-storage material  2   a  and which is arranged beyond the rapid-cooling layer  1.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a cold insulation member. In particular, the present invention relates to a cold insulation member that uses a heat-storage material. Further, the present invention relates to a wine cooler for rapidly cooling wine or the like to a predetermined temperature zone and maintaining the wine or the like in the predetermined temperature zone.

BACKGROUND ART

To date, wine coolers have been used to maintain, at a predetermined temperature, beverages, e.g., wine, which are served at mealtime. In addition wine coolers have been used to maintain, at a predetermined temperature, beverages, e.g., wine, which are sold over the counter.

PTL 1 discloses the technology aimed at providing a wine cooler having a simple structure, wherein water droplets do not easily adhere to a wine bottle and a wine bottle label can be visually identified, in consideration of a problem regarding a common wine cooler in the related art, wherein water droplets adhere to the wine bottle and water droplets have to be removed by wiping the bottle with a towel every time the bottle is taken out of the wine cooler to pour the wine into a glass. The technology described in PTL 1 is characterized by maintaining the wine at an optimum temperature by disposing a fixing device capable of detachably attaching a cold insulation material to an inner surface of a cold insulation member composed of an cylindrical portion and a bottom portion or a bamboo-like cold insulation member and filling the inside of the cold insulation member with cool air of the cold insulation material and is characterized in that the fixing device is a magnet, a hook-and-loop fastener, a step portion (rib) disposed on an inner wall of a container, or the like.

CITATION LIST Patent Literature

PTL 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-047313

SUMMARY OF INVENTION Technical Problem

The technology described in PTL 1 is aimed at providing a wine cooler, wherein water droplets do not easily adhere to a bottle and a label of the bottle can be visually identified. However, specific measures to rapidly cool the wine bottle to a predetermined temperature zone in a predetermined time and to maintain the wine bottle in the predetermined temperature zone that spans a predetermined temperature and higher are not disclosed.

The present invention is aimed at providing a cold insulation member capable of cooling a cold insulation target to a predetermined temperature zone.

Solution to Problem

According to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the above-described aim,

a cold insulation member may include a rapid-cooling layer which includes a rapid-cooling heat-storage material for rapidly cooling a cold insulation target to a predetermined temperature zone in a predetermined time and a rapid-cooling heat-storage material accommodation portion for accommodating the rapid-cooling heat-storage material and which is arranged in a peripheral portion of the cold insulation target and

a temperature maintenance layer which includes a temperature maintenance heat-storage material for maintaining the cold insulation target in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer and a temperature maintenance heat-storage material accommodation portion for accommodating the temperature maintenance heat-storage material and which is arranged beyond the rapid-cooling layer.

The cold insulation member according to the present invention may be the above-described cold insulation member,

wherein the temperature maintenance heat-storage material has a phase change temperature higher than the phase change temperature of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material.

The cold insulation member according to the present invention may be the above-described cold insulation member, wherein the rapid-cooling heat-storage material has a phase change temperature lower than the predetermined temperature zone.

The cold insulation member according to the present invention may be the above-described cold insulation member,

wherein the temperature maintenance heat-storage material has a phase change temperature lower than the predetermined temperature zone.

The cold insulation member according to the present invention may be the above-described cold insulation member,

wherein part of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material is in a solid phase state and another part is in a liquid phase state in the temperature zone in which the cold insulation target is rapidly cooled.

The cold insulation member according to the present invention may be the above-described cold insulation member, wherein part of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material is in a solid phase state and another part is in a liquid phase state in the temperature zone maintained at a predetermined temperature of the cold insulation target.

The cold insulation member according to the present invention may be the above-described cold insulation member including

a heat-insulating layer which is arranged beyond the temperature maintenance layer and which includes a heat-insulating material.

The cold insulation member according to the present invention may be the above-described cold insulation member,

wherein a total value of the amount of latent heat and the amount of sensible heat of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material is larger than the amount of cooling required for cooling the cold insulation target to the predetermined temperature zone, and

the temperature maintenance heat-storage material has an amount of latent heat required for maintaining the cold insulation target in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer.

The cold insulation member according to the present invention may be the above-described cold insulation member, wherein the rapid-cooling layer has flexibility at the phase change temperature of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material.

The cold insulation member according to the present invention may be the above-described cold insulation member including

a plurality of rapid-cooling layers,

wherein the plurality of rapid-cooling layers are connected to each other.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, a cold insulation member capable of cooling a cold insulation target to a predetermined temperature zone can be realized.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing cross-sectional shapes of a cold insulation member 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing cross-sectional shapes of a cold insulation member 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the designated amounts of a rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a of a cold insulation member 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the experimental results of cold insulation performance of a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 1 of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the experimental results of cold insulation performance of a cold insulation member according to Comparative example 1.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing the experimental results of cold insulation performance of a cold insulation member according to Comparative example 2.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing the experimental results of cold insulation performance of a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 2 of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a graph showing the experimental results of cold insulation performance of a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 3 of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing cross-sectional shapes of a cold insulation member 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing cross-sectional shapes of a cold insulation member 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a graph showing the experimental results of cold insulation performance of a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 4 of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a graph showing the experimental results of cold insulation performance of a cold insulation member according to Comparative example 3.

FIG. 13 is a graph showing the experimental results of cold insulation performance of a cold insulation member according to Comparative example 4.

FIG. 14 is a graph showing the experimental results of cold insulation performance of a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 5 of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a graph showing the experimental results of cold insulation performance of a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 6 of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing cross-sectional shapes of a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 7 of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing cross-sectional shapes of a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 7 of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 8 of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a graph showing the experimental results of cold insulation performance of a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 9 of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a graph showing the experimental results of cold insulation performance of a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 10 of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is a graph showing the experimental results of cold insulation performance of a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 11 of an embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

A cold insulation member 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 21. In this regard, with respect to all drawings below, the sizes, ratios, and the like of constituents shown in the drawings are appropriately differentiated from real sizes, ratios, and the like for the sake of facilitating understanding. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show cross-sectional shapes of a cold insulation member 10. FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 2(a) show cross sections cut along a plane including the center axis of the cylindrical cold insulation member 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1(b) and FIG. 2(b) show cross sections of the cold insulation member 10 cut along a line A-A orthogonal to the center axis of the cold insulation member 10 shown in FIG. 1(a) and FIG. 2(a), respectively. For example, the cold insulation member 10 is used to rapidly cooling a cold insulation target B including a container G, e.g., a glass bottle, that contains a liquid L to a predetermined temperature zone in a predetermined time. FIGS. 1(a) and (b) show the state in which the cold insulation target B is insulated against heat loss by the cold insulation member 10. FIGS. 2(a) and (b) show the state in which the cold insulation target B has been removed from the cold insulation member 10. The cold insulation member 10 has a hollow cylindrical shape with an open upper surface and bottom surface and includes a rapid-cooling layer 1 and a temperature maintenance layer 2 sequentially from the inside toward the outside. As shown in FIG. 1, the rapid-cooling layer 1 is arranged in the peripheral portion of the cold insulation target B in the case where the cold insulation member 10 is used. In the present embodiment, the cold insulation member 10 is used for insulating, against heat loss, the cold insulation target B including the container G, e.g., a glass bottle, and therefore, the rapid-cooling layer 1 is arranged so as to cover the peripheral portion of the cold insulation target B. Meanwhile, the temperature maintenance layer 2 is arranged beyond the rapid-cooling layer 1 so as to cover the peripheral portion of the rapid-cooling layer 1.

The rapid-cooling layer 1 includes a rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a and a rapid-cooling heat-storage material accommodation portion 1 b for accommodating the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a. Also, the temperature maintenance layer 2 includes a temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a and a temperature maintenance heat-storage material accommodation portion 2 b for accommodating the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a. In order to cool the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone, the phase change temperature of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a and the phase change temperature of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a are lower than the predetermined temperature zone. In this regard, the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a has a phase change temperature higher than the phase change temperature of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a. The phase change temperature is a temperature at which the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a or the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a undergoes a phase change between a solid phase and a liquid phase. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a undergoes a reversible phase change between the solid phase and the liquid phase at a predetermined phase change temperature. Likewise, the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a undergoes a reversible phase change between the solid phase and the liquid phase at a predetermined phase change temperature.

The phases of rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a and the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a can be changed to the solid phase state by cooling the cold insulation member 10 at a temperature lower than the phase change temperature of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a for a predetermined time by using a cooling mechanism not shown in the drawing. After the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a and the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a are brought into the solid phase state, the cold insulation member 10 is arranged such that the rapid-cooling layer 1 is located around the cold insulation target B. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a is used to rapidly cooling a liquid L in the container G of the cold insulation target B, which is at the same temperature (ambient temperature) as room temperature (for example, 25° C.), to a predetermined temperature zone in a predetermined time. The cold-insulation heat-storage material 1 b is used for maintaining the liquid L in the container G of the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone for a predetermined time or longer. For this purpose, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a and the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a have phase change temperatures lower than room temperature (ambient temperature).

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the cold insulation member 10 is arranged on the cold insulation target B, where the cold insulation target B is inserted into the cylindrical opening portion, and is used at room temperature (for example, 25° C.). Examples of liquids of the cold insulation target B insulated against heat loss by the cold insulation member 10 include various beverages. In particular, beverages having a temperature that is suitable for drinking and lower than room temperature are favorable. For example, it is preferable that the cold insulation member 10 according to the present embodiment be used for insulating, against heat loss, sparkling wine having a temperature suitable for drinking of about 4° C. to 6° C., white wine having a temperature suitable for drinking of about 9° C. to 11° C., and red wine having a temperature suitable for drinking of about 16° C. to 18° C. Meanwhile, the liquid L may be a liquid having a viscosity higher than the viscosity of water or a liquid in which a solid material is mixed. Further, a solid may be insulated against heat loss in place of the liquid L. Examples of the container G include glass and ceramic bottles, iron and aluminum cans, and PET bottles.

Here, heat storage refers to the technology to temporarily store heat and extract heat, as necessary. Examples of heat-storage systems include sensible heat storage, latent heat storage, and chemical heat storage. In the present embodiment, latent heat storage and sensible heat storage are utilized. Regarding latent heat storage, thermal energy of a phase change of a substance is stored by utilizing the latent heat of the substance. Regarding latent heat storage, the heat-storage density is high and the output temperature is constant. In latent heat storage, thermal energy corresponding to a temperature change of a substance by utilizing the latent heat of the substance.

The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a has a phase change temperature lower than the phase change temperature of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a. Consequently, in the case where the cold insulation member 10 is used, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a reaches the phase change temperature earlier than the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a. Therefore, in the cold insulation member 10, cold insulation by utilizing the latent heat of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a is performed prior to cooling by utilizing the latent heat of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a. The temperature of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a is substantially constant during cooling by utilizing the latent heat. In this regard, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a has a phase change temperature sufficiently lower than (for example, 15° C. to 30° C. lower) the predetermined temperature zone of the cold insulation target B. Consequently, in the state in which the cooling by utilizing the latent heat of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a is performed, the cold insulation target B is rapidly cooled to the predetermined temperature zone in a relatively short time. Also, the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a is cooled to substantially the phase change temperature of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a.

After the phase change from the solid phase to the liquid phase of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a is completed, the cooling by utilizing the latent heat is finished, and cooling by utilizing the sensible heat is started. Consequently, the cold insulation target B is cooled to the predetermined temperature zone. Meanwhile, the temperature of the entire cold insulation member 10 increases and the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a reaches the phase change temperature. Consequently, cooling by utilizing the latent heat of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a of the cold insulation member 10 is started. The temperature of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a is substantially constant during cooling by utilizing the latent heat. The rapid-cooling layer 1 is in contact with the temperature maintenance layer 2 and, thereby, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a is cooled to substantially the phase change temperature of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a. In this regard, the phase change temperature of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a is several degrees of centigrade (for example, 2° C. to 6° C.) lower than the predetermined temperature zone of the cold insulation target B. Consequently, the cold insulation target B is cooled by the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a through the rapid-cooling layer 1 of the cold insulation member 10. Therefore, the temperature of the cold insulation target B can be maintained at the predetermined temperature higher than the phase change temperature of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a. In this manner, after cooling by utilizing the latent heat is performed, the rapid-cooling layer 1 has a function as a buffer layer for avoiding the cold insulation target B from being excessively cooled to a temperature lower than the predetermined temperature due to cooling by the temperature maintenance layer 2. Also, the cold insulation member 10 insulates, against heat loss, the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone until the phase change temperature from the solid phase to the liquid phase of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a is completed. Consequently, the cold insulation member 10 can maintain the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer.

The role of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a included in the rapid-cooling layer 1 is to rapidly absorb the heat of the cold insulation target B by utilizing the latent heat and the sensible heat. Also, the role of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a included in the temperature maintenance layer 2 is to maintain the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone by utilizing the latent heat and the sensible heat. As described above, the cold insulation member 10 is characterized in that the functions of the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2 are separated.

For example, paraffin (generic name for saturated chain hydrocarbons represented by a general formula C_(n)H_(2n+2)), water, inorganic salt aqueous solutions, and the like are used for the cold insulation heat-storage material 1 a and the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a. Examples of inorganic salts of inorganic salt aqueous solutions include potassium chloride (KCl), sodium chloride (NaCl), ammonium chloride (NH₄Cl), and potassium hydrogen carbonate (KHCO₃). In the present embodiment, inorganic salts usable for the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a and the cold insulation heat-storage material 2 a are not limited to these.

Also, for example, clathrate hydrates, inorganic salt hydrates, and the like are used for the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a and the cold insulation heat-storage material 2 a. Examples of clathrate hydrates used for the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a and the cold insulation heat-storage material 2 a include clathrate hydrates in which a gest molecule is a quaternary ammonium salt molecule, e.g., tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) or tetrabutylammonium chloride (TBAC). The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a and the cold insulation heat-storage material 2 a containing the clathrate hydrate or the like reversively changes into a clathrate hydrate, in which a gest molecule is a quaternary ammonium salt molecule, and an aqueous solution containing a quaternary ammonium salt at the phase change temperature. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a and the cold insulation heat-storage material 2 a come into the solid phase state while being a clathrate hydrates and come into the liquid state while being an aqueous solution. In this regard, the clathrate hydrates usable for the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a and the cold insulation heat-storage material 2 a are not limited to these in the present embodiment.

Also, examples of inorganic salt hydrates used for the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a and the cold insulation heat-storage material 2 a include sodium sulfate decahydrate, sodium acetate trihydrate, sodium thiosulfate pentahydrate, binary compositions (melting temperature of 5° C.) of disodium hydrogenphosphate dodecahydrate and dipotassium hydrogenphosphate hexahydrate, binary compositions containing lithium nitrate trihydrate as a primary component (melting temperature of 8° C. to 12° C.) of lithium nitrate trihydrate and magnesium chloride hexahydrate, and ternary compositions (melting temperature of 5.8° C. to 9.7° C.) of lithium nitrate trihydrate-magnesium chloride hexahydrate-magnesium bromide hexahydrate but are not limited to these inorganic salt hydrates in the present embodiment.

In order to improve the effect of cooling the cold insulation target B by the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a, it is preferable to increase the contact area between the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the cold insulation target B. Therefore, it is preferable that the shape of the rapid-cooling layer 1 can be changed in accordance with the shape of the cold insulation target B. In order to increase the contact area between the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the cold insulation target B, in the state of the use of the cold insulation member 10, part of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a of the rapid-cooling layer 1 may be in a solid phase state and another part may be in a liquid phase state in the temperature zone in which the cold insulation target B is rapidly cooled. Consequently, the rapid-cooling layer 1 can have flexibility such that the shape can be changed in accordance with the shape of the cold insulation target B. For example, in the case where a potassium chloride aqueous solution having a phase change temperature of −11° C. is used as the main agent of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a, a sodium chloride aqueous solution having a phase change temperature of −21° C. is mixed into the potassium chloride aqueous solution. At this time, the concentration of the sodium chloride in the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a is made to be smaller than the eutectic concentration. Consequently, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a has phase change temperatures of about −11° C. and about −21° C. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a performs cooling by utilizing the latent heat of the potassium chloride aqueous solution serving as the main agent and, therefore, is used while the potassium chloride aqueous solution is in the solid phase state and the sodium chloride aqueous solution is in the liquid state. In the case where the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a of the rapid-cooling layer 1 performs cooling by utilizing the latent heat, in the cold insulation member 10, a state in which a portion in the solid phase state and a portion in the liquid phase state are present together in the rapid-cooling layer 1 can be brought about and, thereby, the contact area between the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the cold insulation target B can be increased. Consequently, the cold insulation member 10 can enhance the cooling effect of the rapid-cooling layer 1.

Also, in order to improve the effect of cooling the cold insulation target B by the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a, it is preferable that the shape of the temperature maintenance layer 2 can be changed in accordance with the shape of the cold insulation target B. For this purpose, in the state of the use of the cold insulation member 10, part of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a of the temperature maintenance layer 2 may be in a solid phase state and another part may be in a liquid phase state in the temperature zone in which the cold insulation target B is cooled. Consequently, the temperature maintenance layer 2 can have flexibility such that the shape can be changed in accordance with the shape of the cold insulation target B. For example, in the case where water having a phase change temperature of 0° C. is used as the main agent of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a, a sodium chloride aqueous solution having a phase change temperature of −21° C. is mixed into the water. At this time, the concentration of the sodium chloride in the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a is made to be smaller than the eutectic concentration. Consequently, the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a has phase change temperatures of about 0° C. and about −21° C. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a performs cooling by utilizing the latent heat of the water serving as the main agent and, therefore, is used while the water is in the solid phase state and the sodium chloride aqueous solution is in the liquid state. In the case where the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a of the temperature maintenance layer 2 performs cooling by utilizing the latent heat, in the cold insulation member 10, a state in which a portion in the solid phase state and a portion in the liquid phase state are present together in the temperature maintenance layer 2 can be brought about. Consequently, the contact area between the temperature maintenance layer 2 and rapid-cooling layer 1 can be increased and the cooling effect of the temperature maintenance layer 2 can be enhanced.

Also, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a and the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a may be gelatinized. A gelatinizer is contained in the gelatinized rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a and temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a. In general, a gel refers to a material in which molecules are partly cross-linked so as to form a three-dimensional network structure and a solvent is absorbed therein so as to cause swelling. The composition of the gel is substantially in the liquid state but the gel is dynamically in the solid state. The gelatinized rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a and temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a maintain the solid state as a whole and do not have fluidity even when a reversible phase change between the solid phase and the liquid phase occurs. A gel heat-storage material can maintain the solid state as a whole before and after the phase change and, therefore, is easily handled.

Examples of gelatinizers include synthetic polymers that use molecules having at least one of a hydroxyl group or carboxyl group, a sulfonic acid group, an amino group, and an amide group, natural polysaccharide, and gelatin. Examples of synthetic polymers include polyacrylamide derivatives, polyvinyl alcohols, and polyacrylic acid derivatives. Examples of natural polysaccharide include agar, alginic acid, furcellaran, pectin, starch, a mixture of xanthan gum and locust bean gum, tamarind seed gum, gellan gum, and carrageenan. These are mentioned as examples of the gelatinizer. The gelatinizer according to the present embodiment is not limited to these.

Examples of gelatinizers also include an acrylamide monomer, an N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer, and 2-ketoglutaric acid. The gelatinizer according to the present embodiment is not limited to these.

Also, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material accommodation portion 1 b and the temperature maintenance heat-storage material accommodation portion 2 b are formed of, for example, a resin material. Examples of resin materials used for the rapid-cooling heat-storage material accommodation portion 1 b and the temperature maintenance heat-storage material accommodation portion 2 b include plastic materials, e.g., polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), ABS resin, acrylic resin (PMMA), and polycarbonate (PC). Hard packaging materials composed of plastic containers formed of these plastic materials by injection molding, blow molding, or the like or soft packaging materials composed of plastic films made by a solution method, a melt method, a calender method, or the like are used for the rapid-cooling heat-storage material accommodation portion 1 b and the temperature maintenance heat-storage material accommodation portion 2 b. The material is not limited to the resin. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material accommodation portion 1 b and the temperature maintenance heat-storage material accommodation portion 2 b may be formed by using an inorganic material, e.g., glass, ceramic, or a metal. In this regard, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material accommodation portion 1 b and the temperature maintenance heat-storage material accommodation portion 2 b may contain fibrous materials (glass wool, cotton, cellulose, nylon, carbon nanotubes, carbon fibers, and the like), powders (an alumina powder, a metal powder, a microcapsule, and the like), and other modifiers.

Next, FIG. 3 is used and a method for calculating the designated amount of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a in the case where water, a potassium hydrogen carbonate aqueous solution, or a potassium chloride aqueous solution is used for the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a will be described. In the present example, a method for calculating the designated amount of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a in the case where the liquid L of the cold insulation target B is sparkling wine, white wine, or red wine will be described. FIG. 3(a) shows an amount of cooling required for cooling the cold insulation target B including 750 g of liquid L from 25° C. to a predetermined temperature. The predetermined temperature zone of the sparkling wine is set to be 4° C. to 6° C. which is a temperature suitable for drinking. Also, the predetermined temperature of the sparkling wine is set to be 5° C. which is a central value of the predetermined temperature zone. Meanwhile, the predetermined temperature zone of the white wine is set to be 9° C. to 11° C. which is a temperature suitable for drinking. Also, the predetermined temperature of the white wine is set to be 10° C. which is a central value of the predetermined temperature zone. Meanwhile, the predetermined temperature zone of the red wine is set to be 16° C. to 18° C. which is a temperature suitable for drinking. Also, the predetermined temperature of the red wine is set to be 17° C. which is a central value of the predetermined temperature zone. Meanwhile, the specific heat of water (4.2 J/(g·° C.)) is simply employed as the values of specific heat of the sparkling wine, the white wine, and the red wine.

The amount of cooling required for cooling 750 g of wine from 25° C. to the predetermined temperature can be determined on the basis of formula (1) below.

required amount of cooling=0.75 (kg)×cooling temperature (° C.)×4.2 J/(g·° C.)   (1)

Here, the cooling temperature is a value obtained by subtracting the predetermined temperature (° C.) from 25° C.

From formula (1) above, the amount of cooling required for cooling the sparkling wine to 5° C., which is the predetermined temperature, results in 63.0 kJ, the amount of cooling required for cooling the white wine to 10° C., which is the predetermined temperature, results in 47.3 kJ, and the amount of cooling required for cooling the red wine to 17° C., which is the predetermined temperature, results in 25.2 kJ.

FIG. 3(b) is a table explaining a designated amount of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a in the case where the liquid L of the cold insulation target B is the sparkling wine. In the present example, water, a potassium hydrogen carbonate aqueous solution, or a potassium chloride aqueous solution is used for the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses water has a phase change temperature of 0° C. Also, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses potassium hydrogen carbonate aqueous solution, in which the concentration of potassium hydrogen carbonate is 20 percent by weight, has a phase change temperature of about −6° C. Also, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses potassium chloride aqueous solution, in which the concentration of potassium chloride is 20 percent by weight, has a phase change temperature of about −11° C.

FIG. 3(b) shows the amount of latent heat (kJ), the amount of sensible heat (kJ), the amount of cooling (kJ), the real amount of cooling (kJ), and the designated amount (g) of 100 g of rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses each of the materials. The amount of latent heat shown here is a real measurement value. The amount of latent heat is measured by, for example, a temperature history method. The temperature history method is a technique to monitor the temperature change of an object and calculate the amount of latent heat by a comparison with a reference substance, where the amount of latent heat of the reference substance has been specified. Also, the amount of sensible heat here is specified as the amount of heat used by the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a, which is in the liquid state after completion of the phase change, for cooling the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature. This amount of sensible heat is determined by multiplying the value, which is obtained by subtracting the phase change temperature of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a from the predetermined temperature, by the specific heat of the water. In this regard, the amount of sensible heat of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a in the solid state is smaller than the amount of latent heat and the amount of sensible heat of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a in the liquid state and, therefore, is not taken into consideration as the amount of cooling of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a. Meanwhile, the amount of cooling is a total value of the amount of latent heat and the amount of sensible heat. In this regard, the real amount of cooling and the designated amount will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 3(b), the amount of latent heat of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses the water is 30.5 kJ, the amount of sensible heat is 2.1 kJ, and the amount of cooling is 32.6 kJ. Also, the amount of latent heat of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses the potassium hydrogen carbonate aqueous solution is 25.9 kJ, the amount of sensible heat is 4.6 kJ, and the amount of cooling is 30.5 kJ. Also, the amount of latent heat of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses the potassium chloride aqueous solution is 27.9 kJ, the amount of sensible heat is 6.7 kJ, and the amount of cooling is 34.6 kJ.

If the thickness of the rapid-cooling layer 1 is neglected, the contact area between the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the cold insulation target B is half the surface area of the rapid-cooling layer 1. It is assumed that half the surface area of the rapid-cooling layer 1 is the heat dissipation surface and half the amount of cooling of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a is used for cooling the cold insulation target B. Therefore, the value of the real amount of cooling of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a is half the amount of cooling. Consequently, the real amount of cooling of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses the water results in 16.3 kJ, the real amount of cooling of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses the potassium hydrogen carbonate aqueous solution results in 15.3 kJ, and the real amount of cooling of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses the potassium chloride aqueous solution results in 17.3 kJ.

The designated amount of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a is determined by multiplying the value, which is obtained by dividing the required amount of cooling shown in FIG. 3(a) by the real amount of cooling, by the mass (100 g) of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a used as a precondition of the calculation. Therefore, the designated amount of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses the water results in 387 g, the designated amount of cooling of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses the potassium hydrogen carbonate aqueous solution results in 412 g, and the designated amount of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses the potassium chloride aqueous solution results in 364 g.

FIG. 3(c) is a table explaining a designated amount of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a in the case where the liquid L of the cold insulation target B is the white wine. In the present example as well, water, a potassium hydrogen carbonate aqueous solution, or a potassium chloride aqueous solution is used for the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a as in the example shown in FIG. 3(b). FIG. 3(c) shows the amount of latent heat (kJ), the amount of sensible heat (kJ), the amount of cooling (kJ), the real amount of cooling (kJ), and the designated amount (g) of 100 g of rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses each of the materials. The amount of sensible heat, the real amount of cooling, and the designated amount are determined in the same method as that in the example shown in FIG. 3(b).

As shown in FIG. 3(c), the amount of latent heat of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses the water is 30.5 kJ, the amount of sensible heat is 4.2 kJ, the amount of cooling is 34.7 kJ, the real amount of cooling is 17.4 kJ, and the designated amount is 272 g. Also, the amount of latent heat of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses the potassium hydrogen carbonate aqueous solution is 25.9 kJ, the amount of sensible heat is 6.7 kJ, the amount of cooling is 32.6 kJ, the real amount of cooling is 16.3 kJ, and the designated amount is 290 g. Also, the amount of latent heat of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses the potassium chloride aqueous solution is 27.9 kJ, the amount of sensible heat is 8.8 kJ, the amount of cooling is 36.7 kJ, the real amount of cooling is 18.4 kJ, and the designated amount is 257 g.

FIG. 3(d) is a table explaining a designated amount of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a in the case where the liquid L of the cold insulation target B is the red wine. In the present example as well, water, a potassium hydrogen carbonate aqueous solution, or a potassium chloride aqueous solution is used for the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a as in the example shown in FIG. 3(b). FIG. 3(d) shows the amount of latent heat (kJ), the amount of sensible heat (kJ), the amount of cooling (kJ), the real amount of cooling (kJ), and the designated amount (g) of 100 g of rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses each of the materials. The amount of sensible heat, the real amount of cooling, and the designated amount are determined in the same method as that in the example shown in FIG. 3(b).

As shown in FIG. 3(d), the amount of latent heat of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses the water is 30.5 kJ, the amount of sensible heat is 7.1 kJ, the amount of cooling is 37.6 kJ, the real amount of cooling is 18.8 kJ, and the designated amount is 134 g. Also, the amount of latent heat of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses the potassium hydrogen carbonate aqueous solution is 25.9 kJ, the amount of sensible heat is 9.7 kJ, the amount of cooling is 35.6 kJ, the real amount of cooling is 17.8 kJ, and the designated amount is 142 g. Also, the amount of latent heat of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a that uses the potassium chloride aqueous solution is 27.9 kJ, the amount of sensible heat is 11.8 kJ, the amount of cooling is 39.7 kJ, the real amount of cooling is 19.9 kJ, and the designated amount is 127 g.

As described above, a total value of the amount of latent heat and the amount of sensible heat of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 is larger than the amount of cooling required for cooling the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone. Consequently, the cold insulation member 10 can cool the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone by using the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a.

EXAMPLE 1

Next, a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4 to FIG. 6. In the present example, a cold insulation target B including 750 g of sparkling wine as the liquid L was cooled by the cold insulation member 10 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The cold insulation member 10 was used after being cooled to about −20° C. in a freezer room. The predetermined temperature zone of the sparkling wine was 4° C. to 6° C. A mixture of 200 g of potassium chloride aqueous solution, as a main agent, having a potassium chloride concentration of 20 percent by weight and 200 g of sodium chloride aqueous solution having a sodium chloride concentration of 20 percent by weight was used as a rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a according to the present example had phase change temperatures at about −11° C., which was a phase change temperature of the potassium chloride aqueous solution, and about −21° C. which was a phase change temperature of the sodium chloride aqueous solution. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a according to the present example was produced by mixing the potassium chloride aqueous solution having a eutectic concentration and the sodium chloride aqueous solution having a eutectic concentration at a ratio of 1:1. Regarding the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a produced by mixing the potassium chloride aqueous solution having a eutectic concentration and the sodium chloride aqueous solution having a eutectic concentration at a ratio of 1:1, 50% came into a frozen state (solid phase state) at about −11° C., which was the phase change temperature of the potassium chloride aqueous solution, and the remainder 50% came into an unfrozen state (liquid phase state). Meanwhile, regarding the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a produced by mixing the potassium chloride aqueous solution having a eutectic concentration and the sodium chloride aqueous solution having a eutectic concentration at a ratio of 3:1, 75% came into a frozen state (solid phase state) at about −11° C., which was the phase change temperature of the potassium chloride aqueous solution, and the remainder 25% came into an unfrozen state (liquid phase state). In the present example, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a of the rapid-cooling layer 1 was brought into the state, in which a portion of the potassium chloride aqueous solution in the solid phase state and a portion of the sodium chloride aqueous solution in the liquid state were present together, in the use state of the cold insulation member 10. Consequently, the shape of the rapid-cooling layer 1 could be changed in accordance with the shape of the cold insulation target B. In this regard, a gelatinizer was added to the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a so as to gelatinize. An acrylamide monomer, an N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer, and 2-ketoglutaric acid were used as the gelatinizer. Relative to 400 g of rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a, the acrylamide monomer was set to be 5%, the N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer was set to be 0.1%, and 2-ketoglutaric acid was set to be 0.12%. In this regard, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a is not necessarily gelatinized.

Meanwhile, 100 g of water was used for the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a according to the present example had a phase change temperature of 0° C. In this regard, a gellatinizer was added to the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a so as to gelatinize. An acrylamide monomer, an N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer, and 2-ketoglutaric acid were used as the gelatinizer. Relative to 100 g of temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a, the acrylamide monomer was set to be 5%, the N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer was set to be 0.1%, and 2-ketoglutaric acid was set to be 0.12%. In this regard, the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a is not necessarily gelatinized.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing the temperature change of the cold insulation target B in the case where the cold insulation target B at ambient temperature was cooled by using the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example. The horizontal axis in FIG. 4 indicates the time (min), and the vertical axis indicates the temperature (° C.). Also, the curve shown by a solid line in FIG. 4 indicates the temperature change of the cold insulation target B. In the present example, the temperature of the liquid L in the central portion of the container G of the cold insulation target B was measured as the temperature of the cold insulation target B. Meanwhile, the curve shown by alternate long and short dashed lines in FIG. 4 indicates the temperature change in between the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2 of the cold insulation member 10. The temperature sensor was arranged on the cold insulation target B and between the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2 after the temperature measurement was started and, therefore, the room temperature was measured at a point in time when the temperature measurement was started. The temperature in between the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2 measured −18° C. about 3 minutes after start of the temperature measurement.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cold insulation target B was cooled to 6° C., which was the upper limit of the predetermined temperature range, after a lapse of about 20 minutes. Also, after a lapse of about 40 minutes, the temperature in between the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2 reached 0° C. which was the phase change temperature of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a, and cold insulation by utilizing the latent heat of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a was started. The cold insulation member 10 could maintain the cold insulation target B at 6° C., which was within the predetermined temperature zone, due to cold insulation by utilizing the latent heat of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a until about 120 minutes elapsed. In this regard, the cold insulation target B was cooled to about 1° C. lower than the predetermined temperature zone (4° C. to 6° C.) between about 23 minutes to about 90 minutes but this was considered to be within the allowance range.

As described above, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could rapidly cool the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature range in about 20 minutes. It is desirable that the wine, which is the cold insulation target B, be cooled from ambient temperature to the temperature that is suitable for drinking within 20 minutes. Also, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could maintain the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature range for about 100 minutes by utilizing the latent heat of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a. This is because the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a had an amount of latent heat required for maintaining the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature range for the predetermined time or longer. As described above, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could be favorably used as a wine cooler for sparkling wine.

Next, a cold insulation member according to Comparative example 1 will be described. The cold insulation member according to Comparative example 1 had a rapid-cooling layer but did not have a temperature maintenance layer. The rapid-cooling layer of the cold insulation member according to Comparative example 1 had the same structure as the structure of the rapid-cooling layer 1 of the cold insulation member 10 according to Example 1 above. Also, in the same manner as Example 1 above, a cold insulation target B including 750 g of sparkling wine as the liquid L was used. Also, the temperature of the liquid L in the central portion of the container G of the cold insulation target B was measured as the temperature of the cold insulation target B. In this regard, other conditions were the same as those in Example 1 above.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing the temperature change of the cold insulation target B in the case where the cold insulation target B at ambient temperature was cooled by using the cold insulation member according to Comparative example 1. The horizontal axis in FIG. 5 indicates the time (min), and the vertical axis indicates the temperature (° C.). Also, the curve shown by a solid line in FIG. 5 indicates the temperature change of the cold insulation target B. As shown in FIG. 5, the temperature of the cold insulation target B was about 13° C. after a lapse of about 60 minutes, and the temperature of the cold insulation target B began to increase again after a lapse of about 70 minutes. In this manner, the cold insulation member according to Comparative example 1 could not cool the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone. The reason for this is considered to be that the cold insulation member according to Comparative example 1 did not have the temperature maintenance layer and, thereby, the periphery side of the rapid-cooling layer was exposed at the outside air and the cold heat of the rapid-cooling layer was taken by the outside air.

Next, a cold insulation member according to Comparative example 2 will be described. The cold insulation member according to Comparative example 2 did not have a rapid-cooling layer but has a temperature maintenance layer. The temperature maintenance layer of the cold insulation member according to Comparative example 1 had the same structure as the structure of the temperature maintenance layer 2 of the cold insulation member 10 according to Example 1 above. Also, in the same manner as Example 1 above, a cold insulation target B including 750 g of sparkling wine as the liquid L was used. Also, the temperature of the liquid L in the central portion of the container G of the cold insulation target B was measured as the temperature of the cold insulation target B. In this regard, other conditions were the same as those in Example 1 above.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing the temperature change of the cold insulation target B in the case where the cold insulation target B at ambient temperature was cooled by using the cold insulation member according to Comparative example 2. The horizontal axis in FIG. 6 indicates the time (min), and the vertical axis indicates the temperature (° C.). Also, the curve shown by a solid line in FIG. 6 indicates the temperature change of the cold insulation target B. As shown in FIG. 6, the temperature of the cold insulation target B was about 19° C. after a lapse of about 50 minutes, and the temperature of the cold insulation target B began to increase again after a lapse of about 60 minutes. In this manner, the cold insulation member according to Comparative example 2 could not cool the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone. The reason for this is considered to be that the cold insulation member according to Comparative example 2 did not have the rapid-cooling layer and the temperature maintenance heat-storage material of the temperature maintenance layer did not have the amount of cooling required for cooling the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone.

The cold insulation member 10 according to the present example had the rapid-cooling layer 1 including the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a for rapidly cooling the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone in the predetermined time and the temperature maintenance layer 2 including the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a for maintaining the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer. The amount of cooling of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a was larger than the amount of cooling required for cooling the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a had an amount of latent heat required for maintaining the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer. The cold insulation member 10 could rapidly cool the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone in the predetermined time by the rapid-cooling layer 1 and could maintain the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer by the temperature maintenance layer 2.

EXAMPLE 2

Next, a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 2 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7. In the present example, a cold insulation target B including 750 g of white wine as the liquid L was cooled by the cold insulation member 10 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The cold insulation member 10 was used after being cooled to about −20° C. in a freezer room. The predetermined temperature zone of the white wine was 9° C. to 11° C. A rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a was composed of 200 g of potassium chloride aqueous solution, as a main agent, having a potassium chloride concentration of 20 percent by weight. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a according to the present example had phase change temperature at about −11° C. which was a phase change temperature of the potassium chloride aqueous solution. In this regard, a gellatinizer was added to the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a so as to gelatinize. An acrylamide monomer, an N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer, and 2-ketoglutaric acid were used as the gelatinizer. Relative to 200 g of rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a, the acrylamide monomer was set to be 5%, the N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer was set to be 0.1%, and 2-ketoglutaric acid was set to be 0.12%. In this regard, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a is not necessarily gelatinized.

Meanwhile, TBAB was used for the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a was produced by using 100 g of TBAB aqueous solution having a TBAB concentration of 25 percent by weight. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a that uses TBAB aqueous solution having a TBAB concentration of 25 percent by weight had a phase change temperature of about 8° C. to 10° C. In this regard, a gellatinizer was added to the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a so as to gelatinize. An acrylamide monomer, an N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer, and 2-ketoglutaric acid were used as the gelatinizer. Relative to 100 g of temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a, the acrylamide monomer was set to be 5%, the N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer was set to be 0.1%, and 2-ketoglutaric acid was set to be 0.12%. In this regard, the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a is not necessarily gelatinized.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing the temperature change of the cold insulation target B in the case where the cold insulation target B at ambient temperature was cooled by using the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example. The horizontal axis in FIG. 7 indicates the time (min), and the vertical axis indicates the temperature (° C.). Also, the curve shown by a solid line in FIG. 7 indicates the temperature change of the cold insulation target B. In the present example, the temperature of the liquid L in the central portion of the container G of the cold insulation target B was measured as the temperature of the cold insulation target B. Meanwhile, the curve shown by alternate long and short dashed lines shown in FIG. 7 indicates the temperature change in between the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2 of the cold insulation member 10. The temperature sensor was arranged on the cold insulation target B and between the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2 after the temperature measurement was started and, therefore, the room temperature was measured at a point in time when the temperature measurement was started. The temperature in between the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2 measured about −8° C. about 3 minutes after start of the temperature measurement.

As shown in FIG. 7, the cold insulation target B was cooled to 11° C., which was the upper limit of the predetermined temperature range, after a lapse of about 20 minutes. Also, after a lapse of about 70 minutes, the temperature in between the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2 reached about 8° C. which was the phase change temperature of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a, and cold insulation by utilizing the latent heat of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a was started. The cold insulation member 10 could maintain the cold insulation target B at 11° C., which was within the predetermined temperature zone, due to cold insulation by utilizing the latent heat of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a until about 150 minutes elapsed.

As described above, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could rapidly cool the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature range in about 18 minutes. Also, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could maintain the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature range for about 130 minutes by utilizing the latent heat of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a. This is because the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a had an amount of latent heat required for maintaining the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature range for the predetermined time or longer. As described above, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could be favorably used as a wine cooler for white wine.

The cold insulation member 10 according to the present example had the rapid-cooling layer 1 including the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a for rapidly cooling the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone in the predetermined time and the temperature maintenance layer 2 including the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a for maintaining the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer. The amount of cooling of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a was larger than the amount of cooling required for cooling the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a had an amount of latent heat required for maintaining the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer. The cold insulation member 10 could rapidly cool the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone in the predetermined time by the rapid-cooling layer 1 and could maintain the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer by the temperature maintenance layer 2.

EXAMPLE 3

Next, a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 3 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 8. In the present example, a cold insulation target B including 750 g of red wine as the liquid L was cooled by the cold insulation member 10 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. The cold insulation member 10 was used after being cooled to about −20° C. in a freezer room. The predetermined temperature zone of the red wine was 16° C. to 18° C. A rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a was composed of 150 g of potassium chloride aqueous solution, as a main agent, having a potassium chloride concentration of 20 percent by weight. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a according to the present example had a phase change temperature at about −11° C. which was a phase change temperature of the potassium chloride aqueous solution. In this regard, a gellatinizer was added to the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a so as to gelatinize. An acrylamide monomer, an N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer, and 2-ketoglutaric acid were used as the gelatinizer. Relative to 150 g of rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a, the acrylamide monomer was set to be 5%, the N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer was set to be 0.1%, and 2-ketoglutaric acid was set to be 0.12%. In this regard, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a is not necessarily gelatinized.

Meanwhile, TBAB was used for the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a was produced by using 200 g of TBAB aqueous solution having a TBAB concentration of 35 percent by weight. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a that uses TBAB aqueous solution having a TBAB concentration of 35 percent by weight had a phase change temperature of about 11.5° C. In this regard, a gellatinizer was added to the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a so as to gelatinize. An acrylamide monomer, an N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer, and 2-ketoglutaric acid were used as the gelatinizer. Relative to 200 g of temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a, the acrylamide monomer was set to be 5%, the N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer was set to be 0.1%, and 2-ketoglutaric acid was set to be 0.12%. In this regard, the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a is not necessarily gelatinized.

FIG. 8 is a graph showing the temperature change of the cold insulation target B in the case where the cold insulation target B at ambient temperature was cooled by using the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example. The horizontal axis in FIG. 8 indicates the time (min), and the vertical axis indicates the temperature (° C.). Also, the curve shown by a solid line in FIG. 8 indicates the temperature change of the cold insulation target B. In the present example, the temperature of the liquid L in the central portion of the container G of the cold insulation target B was measured as the temperature of the cold insulation target B. Meanwhile, the curve shown by alternate long and short dashed lines in FIG. 8 indicates the temperature change in between the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2 of the cold insulation member 10. The temperature sensor was arranged on the cold insulation target B and between the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2 after the temperature measurement was started and, therefore, the room temperature was measured at a point in time when the temperature measurement was started. The temperature in between the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2 measured about −12° C. about 3 minutes after start of the temperature measurement.

As shown in FIG. 8, the cold insulation target B was cooled to 18° C., which was the upper limit of the predetermined temperature range, after a lapse of about 14 minutes. Also, after a lapse of about 130 minutes, the temperature in between the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2 reached about 11.5° C. which was the phase change temperature of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a, and cold insulation by utilizing the latent heat of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a was started. The cold insulation member 10 could maintain the cold insulation target B at 18° C., which was within the predetermined temperature zone, due to cold insulation by utilizing the latent heat of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a until about 180 minutes elapsed. In this regard, the cold insulation target B was cooled to about 1° C. lower than the predetermined temperature zone (16° C. to 18° C.) between about 24 minutes to about 160 minutes but this was considered to be within the allowance range.

As described above, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could rapidly cool the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature range in about 14 minutes. Also, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could maintain the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature range for about 165 minutes by utilizing the latent heat of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a. This is because the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a had an amount of latent heat required for maintaining the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature range for the predetermined time or longer. As described above, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could be favorably used as a wine cooler for red wine.

The cold insulation member 10 according to the present example had the rapid-cooling layer 1 including the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a for rapidly cooling the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone in the predetermined time and the temperature maintenance layer 2 including the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a for maintaining the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer. The amount of cooling of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a was larger than the amount of cooling required for cooling the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a had an amount of latent heat required for maintaining the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer. The cold insulation member 10 could rapidly cool the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone in the predetermined time by the rapid-cooling layer 1 and could maintain the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer by the temperature maintenance layer 2.

Next, other examples of the cold insulation member 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9 to FIG. 15. In this regard, the same constituents, which have the same operations and advantages as those of the cold insulation member 10 shown in FIG. 1 and the like, are indicated by the same reference numerals as those set forth above and the explanations thereof will not be provided. FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 show cross-sectional shapes of the cold insulation member 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 9(a) and FIG. 10(a) show cross sections cut along a plane including the center axis of the cylindrical cold insulation member 10. FIG. 9(b) and FIG. 10(b) show cross sections of the cold insulation member 10 cut along a line A-A orthogonal to the center axis of the cold insulation member 10 shown in FIG. 9(a) and FIG. 10(a), respectively. FIGS. 9(a) and (b) show the state in which the cold insulation target B is insulated against heat loss by the cold insulation member 10. FIGS. 10(a) and (b) show the state in which the cold insulation target B is removed from the cold insulation member 10.

The cold insulation member 10 according to the present embodiment is characterized in that an upper portion in the use state has the same tapered shape as the shape of the container G of the cold insulation target B. Specifically, the upper portion of the rapid-cooling layer 1 has the same tapered shape as the shape of the container G. The temperature maintenance layer 2 has the same shape as the shape of the rapid-cooling layer 1 and is arranged in contact with the rapid-cooling layer 1 so as to cover the rapid-cooling layer 1. Consequently, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present embodiment can increase the contact area with the cold insulation target B and improve the effect of insulating against heat loss.

EXAMPLE 4

Next, a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 4 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 11 to FIG. 13. In the present example, a cold insulation target B including 750 g of sparkling wine as the liquid L was cooled by the cold insulation member 10 shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10. The cold insulation member 10 was used after being cooled to about −20° C. in a freezer room. The predetermined temperature zone of the sparkling wine was 4° C. to 6° C. A mixture of 200 g of potassium chloride aqueous solution, as a main agent, having a potassium chloride concentration of 20 percent by weight and 100 g of sodium chloride aqueous solution having a sodium chloride concentration of 20 percent by weight was used as a rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a according to the present example had phase change temperatures at about −11° C., which was a phase change temperature of the potassium chloride aqueous solution, and about −21° C. which was a phase change temperature of the sodium chloride aqueous solution. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a according to the present example was produced by mixing the potassium chloride aqueous solution having a eutectic concentration and the sodium chloride aqueous solution having a eutectic concentration at a ratio of 1:1. Regarding the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a produced by mixing the potassium chloride aqueous solution having a eutectic concentration and the sodium chloride aqueous solution having a eutectic concentration at a ratio of 1:1, 50% came into a frozen state (solid phase state) at about −11° C., which was the phase change temperature of the potassium chloride aqueous solution, and the remainder 50% came into an unfrozen state (liquid phase state). In the use state of the cold insulation member 10, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a of the rapid-cooling layer 1 was brought into the state, in which a portion of the potassium chloride aqueous solution in the solid phase state and a portion of the sodium chloride aqueous solution in the liquid state were present together. Consequently, the shape of the rapid-cooling layer 1 could be changed in accordance with the shape of the cold insulation target B. In this regard, a gellatinizer was added to the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a so as to gelatinize. An acrylamide monomer, an N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer, and 2-ketoglutaric acid were used as the gelatinizer. Relative to 300 g of rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a, the acrylamide monomer was set to be 5%, the N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer was set to be 0.1%, and 2-ketoglutaric acid was set to be 0.12%. In this regard, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a is not necessarily gelatinized.

Meanwhile, a mixture of 100 g of water as a main agent and 100 g of sodium chloride aqueous solution having a sodium chloride concentration of 20 percent by weight was used as a temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 b. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a according to the present example had phase change temperatures at 0° C., which was a phase change temperature of the water, and about −21° C. which was a phase change temperature of the sodium chloride aqueous solution. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a according to the present example was produced by mixing the water and the sodium chloride aqueous solution having a eutectic concentration at a ratio of 1:1. Regarding the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a produced by mixing the water and the sodium chloride aqueous solution having a eutectic concentration at a ratio of 1:1, 50% came into a frozen state (solid phase state) at 0° C., which was the phase change temperature of the water, and the remainder 50% came into an unfrozen state (liquid phase state). In the use state of the cold insulation member 10, the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a of the temperature maintenance layer 2 was brought into the state, in which a portion of the water in the solid phase state and a portion of the sodium chloride aqueous solution in the liquid state were present together. Consequently, the shape of the temperature maintenance layer 2 could be changed in accordance with the shape of the cold insulation target B. In this regard, a gellatinizer was added to the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a so as to gelatinize. An acrylamide monomer, an N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer, and 2-ketoglutaric acid were used as the gelatinizer. Relative to 200 g of temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a, the acrylamide monomer was set to be 5%, the N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer was set to be 0.1%, and 2-ketoglutaric acid was set to be 0.12%. In this regard, the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a is not necessarily gelatinized.

FIG. 11 is a graph showing the temperature change of the cold insulation target B in the case where the cold insulation target B at ambient temperature was cooled by using the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example. The horizontal axis in FIG. 11 indicates the time (min), and the vertical axis indicates the temperature (° C.). Also, the curve shown by a solid line in FIG. 11 indicates the temperature change of the cold insulation target B. In the present example, the temperature of the liquid L in the central portion of the container G of the cold insulation target B was measured as the temperature of the cold insulation target B.

As shown in FIG. 11, the cold insulation target B was cooled to 6° C., which was the upper limit of the predetermined temperature range, after a lapse of about 24 minutes. The cold insulation member 10 could maintain the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone due to cold insulation by utilizing the latent heat of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a until about 140 minutes elapsed. In this regard, the cold insulation target B was cooled to about 1° C. to 3° C. lower than the predetermined temperature zone (4° C. to 6° C.) between about 33 minutes to about 108 minutes but this was considered to be within the allowance range.

The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a had an amount of latent heat required for maintaining the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature range for the predetermined time or longer. As described above, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could be favorably used as a wine cooler for sparkling wine.

Next, a cold insulation member according to Comparative example 3 will be described. The cold insulation member according to Comparative example 3 had a rapid-cooling layer but did not have a temperature maintenance layer. The rapid-cooling layer of the cold insulation member according to Comparative example 3 had the same structure as the structure of the rapid-cooling layer 1 of the cold insulation member 10 according to Example 4 above. Also, in the same manner as Example 4 above, a cold insulation target B including 750 g of sparkling wine as the liquid L was used. Also, the temperature of the liquid L in the central portion of the container G of the cold insulation target B was measured as the temperature of the cold insulation target B. In this regard, other conditions were the same as those in Example 4 above.

FIG. 12 is a graph showing the temperature change of the cold insulation target B in the case where the cold insulation target B at ambient temperature was cooled by using the cold insulation member according to Comparative example 3. The horizontal axis in FIG. 12 indicates the time (min), and the vertical axis indicates the temperature (° C.). Also, the curve shown by a solid line in FIG. 12 indicates the temperature change of the cold insulation target B. As shown in FIG. 12, the temperature of the cold insulation target B was about 13° C. after a lapse of about 60 minutes, and the temperature of the cold insulation target B began to increase again after a lapse of about 70 minutes. In this manner, the cold insulation member according to Comparative example 3 could not cool the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone. The reason for this is considered to be that the cold insulation member according to Comparative example 3 did not have the temperature maintenance layer and, thereby, the periphery side of the rapid-cooling layer was exposed at the outside air and the cold heat of the rapid-cooling layer was taken by the outside air.

Next, a cold insulation member according to Comparative example 4 will be described. The cold insulation member according to Comparative example 4 did not have a rapid-cooling layer but had a temperature maintenance layer. The temperature maintenance layer of the cold insulation member according to Comparative example 4 had the same structure as the structure of the temperature maintenance layer 2 of the cold insulation member 10 according to Example 4 above. Also, in the same manner as Example 4 above, a cold insulation target B including 750 g of sparkling wine as the liquid L was used. Also, the temperature of the liquid L in the central portion of the container G of the cold insulation target B was measured as the temperature of the cold insulation target B. In this regard, other conditions were the same as those in Example 4 above.

FIG. 13 is a graph showing the temperature change of the cold insulation target B in the case where the cold insulation target B at ambient temperature was cooled by using the cold insulation member according to Comparative example 4. The horizontal axis in FIG. 13 indicates the time (min), and the vertical axis indicates the temperature (° C.). Also, the curve shown by a solid line in FIG. 13 indicates the temperature change of the cold insulation target B. As shown in FIG. 13, the temperature of the cold insulation target B was about 18° C. after a lapse of about 20 minutes, and the temperature of the cold insulation target B began to increase again after a lapse of about 40 minutes. In this manner, the cold insulation member according to Comparative example 4 could not cool the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone. The reason for this is considered to be that the cold insulation member according to Comparative example 4 did not have the rapid-cooling layer and the temperature maintenance heat-storage material of the temperature maintenance layer did not have the amount of cooling required for cooling the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone.

The cold insulation member 10 according to the present example had the rapid-cooling layer 1 including the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a for rapidly cooling the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone in the predetermined time and the temperature maintenance layer 2 including the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a for maintaining the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer. The amount of cooling of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a was larger than the amount of cooling required for cooling the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a had an amount of latent heat required for maintaining the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer. The cold insulation member 10 could rapidly cool the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone in the predetermined time by the rapid-cooling layer 1 and could maintain the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer by the temperature maintenance layer 2.

EXAMPLE 5

Next, a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 5 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 14. In the present example, a cold insulation target B including 750 g of white wine as the liquid L was cooled by the cold insulation member 10 shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10. The cold insulation member 10 was used after being cooled to about −20° C. in a freezer room. The predetermined temperature zone of the white wine was 9° C. to 11° C. A mixture of 100 g of potassium chloride aqueous solution, as a main agent, having a potassium chloride concentration of 20 percent by weight and 50 g of sodium chloride aqueous solution having a sodium chloride concentration of 20 percent by weight was used as a rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a according to the present example had phase change temperatures at about −11° C., which was a phase change temperature of the potassium chloride aqueous solution, and about −21° C. which was a phase change temperature of the sodium chloride aqueous solution. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a according to the present example was produced by mixing the potassium chloride aqueous solution having a eutectic concentration and the sodium chloride aqueous solution having a eutectic concentration at a ratio of 2:1. Regarding the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a produced by mixing the potassium chloride aqueous solution having a eutectic concentration and the sodium chloride aqueous solution having a eutectic concentration at a ratio of 2:1, about 66% came into a frozen state (solid phase state) at about −11° C., which was the phase change temperature of the potassium chloride aqueous solution, and the remainder about 33% came into an unfrozen state (liquid phase state). In the use state of the cold insulation member 10, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a of the rapid-cooling layer 1 was brought into the state, in which a portion of the potassium chloride aqueous solution in the solid phase state and a portion of the sodium chloride aqueous solution in the liquid state were present together. Consequently, the shape of the rapid-cooling layer 1 could be changed in accordance with the shape of the cold insulation target B. In this regard, a gellatinizer was added to the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a so as to gelatinize. An acrylamide monomer, an N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer, and 2-ketoglutaric acid were used as the gelatinizer. Relative to 150 g of rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a, the acrylamide monomer was set to be 5%, the N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer was set to be 0.1%, and 2-ketoglutaric acid was set to be 0.12%. In this regard, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a is not necessarily gelatinized.

Meanwhile, a mixture of 100 g of TBAB aqueous solution, as a main agent, having a TBAB concentration of 35 percent by weight and 100 g of sodium chloride aqueous solution having a sodium chloride concentration of 20 percent by weight was used as a temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a according to the present example had phase change temperatures at about 11.5° C., which was a phase change temperature of a clathrate hydrate of TBAB (temperature at which decomposition into water and TBAB occurred), and about −21° C. which was a phase change temperature of the sodium chloride aqueous solution. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a was brought into the state, in which a portion of the sodium chloride aqueous solution in the liquid state and a portion of the clathrate hydrate of TBAB in the solid phase state were present together. Consequently, the shape of the temperature maintenance layer 2 could be changed in accordance with the shape of the cold insulation target B. In this regard, a gellatinizer was added to the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a so as to gelatinize. An acrylamide monomer, an N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer, and 2-ketoglutaric acid were used as the gelatinizer. Relative to 200 g of temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a, the acrylamide monomer was set to be 5%, the N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer was set to be 0.1%, and 2-ketoglutaric acid was set to be 0.12%. In this regard, the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a is not necessarily gelatinized.

FIG. 14 is a graph showing the temperature change of the cold insulation target B in the case where the cold insulation target B at ambient temperature was cooled by using the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example. The horizontal axis in FIG. 14 indicates the time (min), and the vertical axis indicates the temperature (° C.). Also, the curve shown by a solid line in FIG. 14 indicates the temperature change of the cold insulation target B. In the present example, the temperature of the liquid L in the central portion of the container G of the cold insulation target B was measured as the temperature of the cold insulation target B.

As shown in FIG. 14, the cold insulation target B was cooled to 11° C., which was the upper limit of the predetermined temperature range, after a lapse of about 15 minutes. The cold insulation member 10 could maintain the cold insulation target B at 11° C. within the predetermined temperature zone due to cold insulation by utilizing the latent heat of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a until about 80 minutes elapsed. As described above, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could be favorably used as a wine cooler for white wine.

The cold insulation member 10 according to the present example had the rapid-cooling layer 1 including the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a for rapidly cooling the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone in the predetermined time and the temperature maintenance layer 2 including the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a for maintaining the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer. The amount of cooling of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a was larger than the amount of cooling required for cooling the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a had an amount of latent heat required for maintaining the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer. The cold insulation member 10 could rapidly cool the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone in the predetermined time by the rapid-cooling layer 1 and could maintain the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer by the temperature maintenance layer 2.

EXAMPLE 6

Next, a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 6 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 15. In the present example, a cold insulation target B including 750 g of red wine as the liquid L was cooled by the cold insulation member 10 shown in FIG. 9 and FIG. 10. The cold insulation member 10 was used after being cooled to about −20° C. in a freezer room. The predetermined temperature zone of the red wine was 16° C. to 18° C. A mixture of 75 g of potassium chloride aqueous solution, as a main agent, having a potassium chloride concentration of 20 percent by weight and 25 g of sodium chloride aqueous solution having a sodium chloride concentration of 20 percent by weight was used as a rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a according to the present example had phase change temperatures at about −11° C., which was a phase change temperature of the potassium chloride aqueous solution, and about −21° C. which was a phase change temperature of the sodium chloride aqueous solution. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a according to the present example was produced by mixing the potassium chloride aqueous solution having a eutectic concentration and the sodium chloride aqueous solution having a eutectic concentration at a ratio of 3:1. Regarding the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a produced by mixing the potassium chloride aqueous solution having a eutectic concentration and the sodium chloride aqueous solution having a eutectic concentration at a ratio of 3:1, 75% came into a frozen state (solid phase state) at about −11° C., which was the phase change temperature of the potassium chloride aqueous solution, and the remainder 25% came into an unfrozen state (liquid phase state). In this regard, a gelatinizer was added to the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a so as to gelatinize. An acrylamide monomer, an N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer, and 2-ketoglutaric acid were used as the gelatinizer. Relative to 100 g of rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a, the acrylamide monomer was set to be 5%, the N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer was set to be 0.1%, and 2-ketoglutaric acid was set to be 0.12%. In this regard, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a is not necessarily gelatinized.

Meanwhile, TBAB was used for the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a was produced that uses 100 g of TBAB aqueous solution having a TBAB concentration of 35 percent by weight. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a that uses TBAB aqueous solution having a TBAB concentration of 35 percent by weight had a phase change temperature of about 11.5° C. In this regard, a gellatinizer was added to the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a so as to gelatinize. An acrylamide monomer, an N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer, and 2-ketoglutaric acid were used as the gelatinizer. Relative to 100 g of temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a, the acrylamide monomer was set to be 5%, the N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer was set to be 0.1%, and 2-ketoglutaric acid was set to be 0.12%. In this regard, the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a is not necessarily gelatinized.

FIG. 15 is a graph showing the temperature change of the cold insulation target B in the case where the cold insulation target B at ambient temperature was cooled by using the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example. The horizontal axis in FIG. 15 indicates the time (min), and the vertical axis indicates the temperature (° C.). Also, the curve shown by a solid line in FIG. 15 indicates the temperature change of the cold insulation target B. In the present example, the temperature of the liquid L in the central portion of the container G of the cold insulation target B was measured as the temperature of the cold insulation target B.

As shown in FIG. 15, the cold insulation target B was cooled to 18° C., which was the upper limit of the predetermined temperature range, after a lapse of about 12 minutes. The cold insulation member 10 could maintain the cold insulation target B at 16° C. to 18° C., which was the predetermined temperature zone, due to cold insulation by utilizing the latent heat of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a until about 120 minutes elapsed.

As described above, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could rapidly cool the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature range in about 12 minutes. Also, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could maintain the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature range for about 110 minutes by utilizing the latent heat of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a. This is because the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a had an amount of latent heat required for maintaining the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature range for the predetermined time or longer. As described above, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could be favorably used as a wine cooler for red wine.

The cold insulation member 10 according to the present example had the rapid-cooling layer 1 including the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a for rapidly cooling the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone in the predetermined time and the temperature maintenance layer 2 including the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a for maintaining the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer. The amount of cooling of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a was larger than the amount of cooling required for cooling the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a had an amount of latent heat required for maintaining the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer. The cold insulation member 10 could rapidly cool the cold insulation target B to the predetermined temperature zone in the predetermined time by the rapid-cooling layer 1 and could maintain the cold insulation target B in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer by the temperature maintenance layer 2.

EXAMPLE 7

Next, a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 7 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 16 to FIG. 18. In this regard, the same constituents, which have the same operations and advantages as those of the cold insulation member 10 shown in FIG. 1 and the like, are indicated by the same reference numerals as those set forth above and the explanations thereof will not be provided, the explanations will not be provided. FIG. 16 and FIG. 17 show cross-sectional shapes of the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example. FIG. 16(a) and FIG. 17(a) show cross sections cut along a plane including the center axis of the cylindrical cold insulation member 10. FIG. 16(b) and FIG. 17(b) show cross sections of the cold insulation member 10 cut along a line A-A orthogonal to the center axis of the cold insulation member 10 shown in FIG. 16(a) and FIG. 17(a), respectively. The cold insulation member 10 according to the present embodiment was characterized by including a heat-insulating layer 3 which was arranged beyond the temperature maintenance layer 2 and which included a heat-insulating material.

The heat-insulating layer 3 was arranged along the periphery of the temperature maintenance layer 2. The heat-insulating material of the heat-insulating layer 3 insulated the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2 against the heat transferred from the outside. The heat-insulating material of the heat-insulating layer 3 was formed by using a fibrous insulation material (glass wool or the like), a foamed resin insulation material (styrol foam, urethane foam), a vacuum insulation material, cloth, or the like.

The cold insulation member 10 according to the present embodiment included the heat-insulating layer 3 arranged beyond the temperature maintenance layer 2. Therefore, the cold heat of the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2 can be prevented from being released to the outside, and the cooling effect can be improved.

EXAMPLE 8

A cold insulation member 10 according to Example 8 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 18. The cold insulation member 10 according to the present embodiment was characterized by including a rapid-cooling layer 1 and a temperature maintenance layer 2, which were divided into a plurality of parts. In the case where each of the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2 was divided into a plurality of parts in the cold insulation member 10, the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2 could be arranged in accordance with the shape and the size of the cold insulation target B. Consequently, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could effectively cool the cold insulation target to the predetermined temperature zone in a short time and could maintain the cold insulation target in the predetermined temperature zone for a long time.

FIG. 18(a) shows the cross-sectional shape of the cold insulation member 10 in the same manner as the states shown in FIG. 16(b) and FIG. 17(b). FIG. 18(b) shows the state of the cold insulation member 10 observed from the temperature maintenance layer 2 side. As shown in FIGS. 18(a) and (b), the cold insulation member 10 includes the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2, each divided into six parts. In this regard, one rapid-cooling layer 1 and one temperature maintenance layer 2 are integrally formed so as to have a rectangular shape.

The rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2 are connected to each other by a connection portion 4. In this regard, the connection portion 4 has a shrink property, and the cold insulation member 10 is easily arranged on the cold insulation target B. Examples of materials usable for forming the connection portion 4 include silicon rubber, elastomer resin, and sponge but are not limited to these in the present example.

FIGS. 18(c) and (d) show cross-sectional shapes of the cold insulation members 10 in the same manner as the states shown in FIG. 16(b) and FIG. 17(b). FIG. 18(c) shows the cross-sectional shape of the cold insulation member 10 including the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2, each divided into three parts. The cold insulation member 10 shown in FIG. 18(c) includes three independent rapid-cooling layers 1 and temperature maintenance layers 2. In this regard, one rapid-cooling layer 1 and one temperature maintenance layer 2 are integrally formed so as to have the shape of a curved surface having the same curvature as the curvature of the container G of the cold insulation target B. The cold insulation member 10 according to the present example includes a plurality of rapid-cooling layers 1 and temperature maintenance layers 2. The plurality of rapid-cooling layers 1 and temperature maintenance layers 2 are independently formed, and the cold insulation member 10 is used by being fixed to the cold insulation target B with braids, elastic braids, or the like. According to the cold insulation member 10 of the preset example, adhesion to the cold insulation target B can be enhanced and, thereby, the cooling effect can be improved.

FIG. 18(d) shows the cold insulation member 10 in which the plurality of rapid-cooling layers 1 and temperature maintenance layers 2 shown in FIG. 18(c) are connected to each other. The cold insulation member 10 according to the present example includes connection portions 5 for connecting the plurality of rapid-cooling layers 1 and temperature maintenance layers 2. Examples of materials usable for forming the connection portion 5 include silicon rubber, elastomer resin, and sponge but are not limited to these in the present example. The cold insulation member 10 according to the present example can be easily arranged on the cold insulation target B.

The cold insulation member 10 according to the present example includes a plurality of rapid-cooling layers 1 and temperature maintenance layers 2. One rapid-cooling layer 1 and one temperature maintenance layer 2 are integrally formed. Meanwhile, adjacent rapid-cooling layers 1 and adjacent temperature maintenance layers 2 are connected to each other with the connection portion 4 or the connection portion 5. The cold insulation member 10 according to the present example can be easily arranged on the cold insulation target B.

EXAMPLE 9

Next, a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 9 of the present embodiment will be described. The cold insulation member 10 according to the present example had the same configuration as the configuration of the cold insulation member 10 shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a was composed of 250 g of sodium chloride aqueous solution having a sodium chloride concentration of 10 percent by weight. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a according to the present example had a phase change temperature of about −7° C. In this regard, a gelatinizer was added to the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a so as to gelatinize. An acrylamide monomer, an N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer, and 2-ketoglutaric acid were used as the gelatinizer. Relative to 250 g of rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a, the acrylamide monomer was set to be 5%, the N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer was set to be 0.1%, and 2-ketoglutaric acid was set to be 0.12%. In this regard, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a is not necessarily gelatinized.

The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a was composed of 153 g of sodium chloride aqueous solution having a sodium chloride concentration of 10 percent by weight. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a according to the present example had a phase change temperature of about −7° C. In this regard, a gelatinizer was added to the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a so as to gelatinize. An acrylamide monomer, an N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer, and 2-ketoglutaric acid were used as the gelatinizer. Relative to 153 g of temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a, the acrylamide monomer was set to be 5%, the N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer was set to be 0.1%, and 2-ketoglutaric acid was set to be 0.12%. In this regard, the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a is not necessarily gelatinized. Meanwhile, a heat-insulating sheet, in which aluminum was evaporated on one surface of rectangular polyethylene (PE), having a thickness of about 1 mm was used for the heat-insulating layer 3.

FIG. 19(a) is a graph showing the temperature change of sparkling wine included in the cold insulation target B in the case where the cold insulation target B was cooled under conditions that simulated real use conditions by using the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example cooled to −18° C. in a freezer room. The horizontal axis in FIG. 19(a) indicates the time (min), and the vertical axis indicates the temperature (° C.). In the present example, a glass wine bottle having a height of 30 cm was used as the container G, and the temperature of the sparkling wine in the wine bottle was measured at three positions, which were an upper portion, a middle portion, and a lower portion, in the wine bottle. The temperature measurement position of the upper portion in the wine bottle was set to be the position at 13 cm from the bottle upper end downward in the vertical direction. The temperature measurement position of the middle portion in the wine bottle was set to be the position at 17 cm from the bottle upper end downward in the vertical direction. The temperature measurement position of the lower portion in the wine bottle was set to be the position at 22 cm from the bottle upper end downward in the vertical direction. The curve shown by a dotted line in FIG. 19(a) indicates the temperature change of the sparkling wine of the upper portion in the wine bottle, the curve shown by alternate long and short dashed lines indicates the temperature change of the sparkling wine of the middle portion in the wine bottle, and the curve shown by a solid line indicates the temperature change of the sparkling wine of the lower portion in the wine bottle.

In this regard, as the real use conditions of the above-described cold insulation member 10, it was assumed that drinking of the wine was started 30 minutes after start of cooling of wine, 200 ml of sparkling wine was poured into a glass from the container G 30 minutes after start of cooling of the sparkling wine by using the cold insulation member 10, 100 ml of sparkling wine was poured into a glass from the container G 45 minutes after start of cooling, and 100 ml of sparkling wine was poured into a glass from the container G 60 minutes after start of cooling. The liquid level of the sparkling wine in the wine bottle came down under the temperature measurement position of the upper portion in the wine bottle 30 minutes after start of cooling because 200 ml of sparkling wine was poured into the glass from the container G. Consequently, the temperature of the upper portion in the wine bottle was not measured 30 minutes or more after start of cooling. Also, the liquid level of the sparkling wine in the wine bottle came down under the temperature measurement position of the middle portion in the wine bottle 60 minutes or more after start of cooling because 400 ml in total of sparkling wine was poured into the glass from the container G. Consequently, the temperature of the middle portion in the wine bottle was not measured 60 minutes or more after start of cooling.

Next, the experimental results of cold insulation performance of the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example will be described in more detail by using FIG. 19(b) with reference to FIG. 19(a). FIG. 19(b) is a table summarizing the experimental results of cold insulation performance of the heat-storage member 10 according to the present example. The target temperature shown in the table in FIG. 19(b) indicates the target temperature of the sparkling wine in the case where the sparkling wine was cooled by using the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example, and the target temperature was set to be 4° C. to 6° C., which was a temperature suitable for drinking the sparkling wine. Also, the target time required shown in the table in FIG. 19(b) indicates a target time required for cooling the sparkling wine at room temperature to the target temperature by using the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example, and the target time required was set to be 30 minutes. The time required shown in the table in FIG. 19(b) indicates the time required for the temperature of the sparkling wine of the middle portion in the wine bottle to reach 6° C., which was the upper limit of the target temperature, from room temperature in the graph of the temperature change of the sparkling wine shown in FIG. 19(a), and the time required was 27 minutes. Also, the target maintenance time shown in the table in FIG. 19(b) indicates the target time for which the sparkling wine that had been originally at room temperature was maintained at the target temperature by using the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example, and the target maintenance time was set to be 60 minutes. Also, the maintenance time shown in the table in FIG. 19(b) indicates the time, for which the temperature of the sparkling wine of the lower portion in the wine bottle was maintained at the target temperature of 4° C. to 6° C., in the graph of the temperature change of the sparkling wine shown in FIG. 19(a), and the maintenance time was 59 minutes. As described above, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could rapidly cool the sparkling wine included in the cold insulation target B from room temperature to 6° C., which was the upper limit of the target temperature, in 27 minutes, which was within the target time required, and thereafter, could maintain the sparkling wine at the target temperature of 4° C. to 6° C. for 59 minutes corresponding to the target maintenance time. In this regard, the temperature of 200 ml of sparkling wine poured into the glass 30 minutes after start of cooling of the cold insulation target B was 8.7° C., the temperature of 100 ml of sparkling wine poured into the glass 45 minutes after start of cooling of the cold insulation target B was 6.5° C., and the temperature of 100 ml of sparkling wine poured into the glass 30 minutes after start of cooling of the cold insulation target B was 6.6° C.

The cold insulation member 10 according to the present example includes the heat-insulating layer 3 arranged beyond the temperature maintenance layer 2. Consequently, heat transfer between the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example and the outside can be decreased so as to improve the cooling effect of the rapid-cooling layer 1. Therefore, the amount of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a can be reduced compared with those of the cold insulation members 10 according to Examples 1 and 4 above.

Meanwhile, in the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example, the same heat-storage material was used for the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a and the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a. The rapid-cooling layer 1 including the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a was arranged in the peripheral portion of the cold insulation target B and the temperature maintenance layer 2 including the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a was arranged beyond the rapid-cooling layer 1. Therefore, a temperature increase of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a is slower than a temperature increase of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a. Consequently, even after the temperature of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a became nearly equal to the temperature of the cold insulation target B, the heat of the cold insulation target B flows into the temperature maintenance layer 2 because of the temperature difference between the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a and the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a, and the temperature maintenance layer 2 can continue to cool the cold insulation target B. As a result, in the case where the same heat-storage material is used for the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a and the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a as well, the maintenance time of the cold insulation target at the target temperature can be increased by arranging the rapid-cooling layer 1 in the peripheral portion of the cold insulation target and arranging the temperature maintenance layer 2 beyond the rapid-cooling layer 1.

As described above, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could rapidly cool the sparkling wine included in the cold insulation target B from room temperature to 6° C., which was the upper limit of the target temperature, in 27 minutes, which was within the target time required, and thereafter, could maintain the sparkling wine at the target temperature of 4° C. to 6° C. for 59 minutes substantially corresponding to the target maintenance time. In addition, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example can reduce the material cost by decreasing the amount of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material. As described above, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could be favorably used as a wine cooler for sparkling wine.

EXAMPLE 10

Next, a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 10 of the present embodiment will be described. The cold insulation member 10 according to the present example had the same configuration as the configuration of the cold insulation member 10 shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a was composed of 165 g of sodium chloride aqueous solution having a sodium chloride concentration of 10 percent by weight. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a according to the present example had a phase change temperature of about −7° C. In this regard, a gelatinizer was added to the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a so as to gelatinize. An acrylamide monomer, an N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer, and 2-ketoglutaric acid were used as the gelatinizer. Relative to 250 g of rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a, the acrylamide monomer was set to be 5%, the N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer was set to be 0.1%, and 2-ketoglutaric acid was set to be 0.12%. In this regard, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a is not necessarily gelatinized.

Meanwhile, a temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a was produced by mixing 75 g of TBAB aqueous solution, as a main agent, having a TBAB concentration of 25 percent by weight and 75 g of sodium chloride aqueous solution having a sodium chloride concentration of 20 percent by weight. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a having a TBAB concentration of 12.5 percent by weight and a sodium chloride concentration of 10 percent by weight was produced by mixing 75 g of TBAB aqueous solution having a TBAB concentration of 25 percent by weight and 75 g of sodium chloride aqueous solution having a sodium chloride concentration of 20 percent by weight. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a according to the present example had phase change temperatures at about 11.5° C., which was a phase change temperature of a clathrate hydrate of TBAB (temperature at which decomposition into water and TBAB occurred), and about −21° C. which was a phase change temperature of the sodium chloride aqueous solution. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a was brought into the state, in which a portion of the sodium chloride aqueous solution in the liquid state and a portion of the clathrate hydrate of TBAB in the solid phase state were present together, in the temperature range of −20° C. to 11° C. Consequently, the shape of the temperature maintenance layer 2 could be changed in accordance with the shape of the cold insulation target B. In this regard, a gelatinizer was added to the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a so as to gelatinize. An acrylamide monomer, an N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer, and 2-ketoglutaric acid were used as the gelatinizer. Relative to 150 g of temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a, the acrylamide monomer was set to be 5%, the N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer was set to be 0.1%, and 2-ketoglutaric acid was set to be 0.12%. In this regard, the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a is not necessarily gelatinized. Meanwhile, a heat-insulating sheet, in which aluminum was evaporated on one surface of rectangular polyethylene (PE), having a thickness of about 1 mm was used for the heat-insulating layer 3.

FIG. 20(a) is a graph showing the temperature change of white wine included in the cold insulation target B in the case where the cold insulation target B was cooled under conditions that simulated real use conditions by using the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example cooled to −18° C. in a freezer room. The horizontal axis in FIG. 20(a) indicates the time (min), and the vertical axis indicates the temperature (° C.). In the present example, a glass wine bottle having a height of 30 cm was used as the container G, and the temperature of the white wine in the wine bottle was measured at three positions, which were an upper portion, a middle portion, and a lower portion, in the wine bottle. The temperature measurement position of the upper portion in the wine bottle was set to be the position at 13 cm from the bottle upper end downward in the vertical direction. The temperature measurement position of the middle portion in the wine bottle was set to be the position at 17 cm from the bottle upper end downward in the vertical direction. The temperature measurement position of the lower portion in the wine bottle was set to be the position at 22 cm from the bottle upper end downward in the vertical direction. The curve shown by a dotted line in FIG. 20(a) indicates the temperature change of the white wine of the upper portion in the wine bottle, the curve shown by alternate long and short dashed lines indicates the temperature change of the white wine of the middle portion in the wine bottle, and the curve shown by a solid line indicates the temperature change of the white wine of the lower portion in the wine bottle.

In this regard, as the real use conditions of the above-described cold insulation member 10, it was assumed that drinking of the wine was started 30 minutes after start of cooling of the wine, 200 ml of white wine was poured into a glass from the container G 30 minutes after start of cooling of the white wine by using the cold insulation member 10, 100 ml of white wine was poured into a glass from the container G 45 minutes after start of cooling, and 100 ml of white wine was poured into a glass from the container G 60 minutes after start of cooling. The liquid level of the white wine in the wine bottle came down under the temperature measurement position of the upper portion in the wine bottle 30 minutes after start of cooling because 200 ml of white wine was poured into the glass from the container G. Consequently, the temperature of the upper portion in the wine bottle was not measured 30 minutes or more after start of cooling. Also, the liquid level of the white wine in the wine bottle came down under the temperature measurement position of the middle portion in the wine bottle 60 minutes or more after start of cooling because 400 ml in total of white wine was poured into the glass from the container G. Consequently, the temperature of the middle portion in the wine bottle was not measured 60 minutes or more after start of cooling.

Next, the experimental results of cold insulation performance of the heat-storage member 10 according to the present example will be described in more detail by using FIG. 20(b) with reference to FIG. 20(a). FIG. 20(b) is a table summarizing the experimental results of cold insulation performance of the heat-storage member 10 according to the present example. The target temperature shown in the table in FIG. 20(b) indicates the target temperature of the white wine in the case where the white wine was cooled by using the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example, and the target temperature was set to be 9° C. to 11° C., which was a temperature suitable for drinking the white wine. Also, the target time required shown in the table in FIG. 20(b) indicates a target time required for cooling the white wine at room temperature to the target temperature by using the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example, and the target time required was set to be 30 minutes. The time required shown in the table in FIG. 20(b) indicates the time required for the temperature of the white wine of the middle portion in the wine bottle to reach 11° C., which was the upper limit of the target temperature, from room temperature in the graph of the temperature change of the white wine shown in FIG. 20(a), and the time required was 22 minutes. Also, the target maintenance time shown in the table in FIG. 20(b) indicates the target time for which the white wine that had been originally at room temperature was maintained at the target temperature by using the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example, and the maintenance time was set to be 90 minutes. Also, the maintenance time shown in the table in FIG. 20(b) indicates the time, for which the temperature of the white wine of the lower portion in the wine bottle was maintained at the target temperature of 9° C. to 11° C., in the graph of the temperature change of the white wine shown in FIG. 20(a), and the maintenance time was 88 minutes. As described above, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could rapidly cool the white wine included in the cold insulation target B from room temperature to 11° C., which was the upper limit of the target temperature, in 22 minutes, which was within the target time required, and thereafter, could maintain the white wine at the target temperature of 9° C. to 11° C. for 88 minutes corresponding to the target maintenance time. In this regard, the temperature of 200 ml of white wine poured into the glass 30 minutes after start of cooling of the cold insulation target B was 12.6° C., the temperature of 100 ml of white wine poured into the glass 45 minutes after start of cooling of the cold insulation target B was 10.8° C., and the temperature of 100 ml of white wine poured into the glass 60 minutes after start of cooling of the cold insulation target B was 10.5° C.

The cold insulation member 10 according to the present example includes the heat-insulating layer 3 arranged beyond the temperature maintenance layer 2. Consequently, heat transfer between the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example and the outside can be decreased so as to improve the cooling effect of the rapid-cooling layer 1. Therefore, the amount of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a can be reduced compared with those of the cold insulation members 10 according to Examples 2 and 5 above.

As described above, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could rapidly cool the white wine included in the cold insulation target B from room temperature to 11° C., which was the upper limit of the target temperature, in 22 minutes, which was within the target time required, and thereafter, could maintain the white wine at the target temperature of 9° C. to 11° C. for 88 minutes substantially corresponding to the target maintenance time. In addition, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example can reduce the material cost by decreasing the amount of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a. As described above, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could be favorably used as a wine cooler for white wine.

EXAMPLE 11

Next, a cold insulation member 10 according to Example 11 of the present embodiment will be described. The cold insulation member 10 according to the present example had the configuration shown in FIG. 16 and FIG. 17. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a was composed of 75 g of sodium chloride aqueous solution having a sodium chloride concentration of 10 percent by weight. The rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a according to the present example had a phase change temperature of about −7° C. In this regard, a gelatinizer was added to the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a so as to gelatinize. An acrylamide monomer, an N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer, and 2-ketoglutaric acid were used as the gelatinizer. Relative to 250 g of rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a, the acrylamide monomer was set to be 5%, the N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer was set to be 0.1%, and 2-ketoglutaric acid was set to be 0.12%. In this regard, the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a is not necessarily gelatinized.

Meanwhile, a temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a was produced by mixing 60 g of TBAB aqueous solution, as a main agent, having a TBAB concentration of 25 percent by weight and 60 g of sodium chloride aqueous solution having a sodium chloride concentration of 20 percent by weight. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a having a TBAB concentration of 12.5 percent by weight and a sodium chloride concentration of 10 percent by weight was produced by mixing 60 g of TBAB aqueous solution having a TBAB concentration of 25 percent by weight and 60 g of sodium chloride aqueous solution having a sodium chloride concentration of 20 percent by weight. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a according to the present example had phase change temperatures at about 11.5° C., which was a phase change temperature of a clathrate hydrate of TBAB (temperature at which decomposition into water and TBAB occurred), and about −21° C. which was a phase change temperature of the sodium chloride aqueous solution. The temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a was brought into the state, in which a portion of the sodium chloride aqueous solution in the liquid state and a portion of the clathrate hydrate of TBAB in the solid phase state were present together, in the temperature range of −20° C. to 11° C. Consequently, the shape of the temperature maintenance layer 2 could be changed in accordance with the shape of the cold insulation target B. In this regard, a gelatinizer was added to the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a so as to gelatinize. An acrylamide monomer, an N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer, and 2-ketoglutaric acid were used as the gelatinizer. Relative to 150 g of temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a, the acrylamide monomer was set to be 5%, the N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide monomer was set to be 0.1%, and 2-ketoglutaric acid was set to be 0.12%. In this regard, the temperature maintenance heat-storage material 2 a is not necessarily gelatinized. Meanwhile, a heat-insulating sheet, in which aluminum was evaporated on one surface of rectangular polyethylene (PE), having a thickness of about 1 mm was used for the heat-insulating layer 3.

FIG. 21(a) is a graph showing the temperature change of red wine included in the cold insulation target B in the case where the cold insulation target B was cooled under conditions that simulated real use conditions by using the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example cooled to −18° C. in a freezer room. The horizontal axis in FIG. 21(a) indicates the time (min), and the vertical axis indicates the temperature (° C.). In the present example, a glass wine bottle having a height of 30 cm was used as the container G, and the temperature of the red wine in the wine bottle was measured at three positions, which were an upper portion, a middle portion, and a lower portion, in the wine bottle. The temperature measurement position of the upper portion in the wine bottle was set to be the position at 13 cm from the bottle upper end downward in the vertical direction. The temperature measurement position of the middle portion in the wine bottle was set to be the position at 17 cm from the bottle upper end downward in the vertical direction. The temperature measurement position of the lower portion in the wine bottle was set to be the position at 22 cm from the bottle upper end downward in the vertical direction. The curve shown by a dotted line in FIG. 21(a) indicates the temperature change of the red wine of the upper portion in the wine bottle, the curve shown by alternate long and short dashed lines indicates the temperature change of the red wine of the middle portion in the wine bottle, and the curve shown by a solid line indicates the temperature change of the red wine of the lower portion in the wine bottle.

In this regard, as the real use conditions of the above-described cold insulation member 10, it was assumed that drinking of the wine was started 30 minutes after start of cooling of the wine, 200 ml of red wine was poured into a glass from the container G 30 minutes after start of cooling of the red wine by using the cold insulation member 10, 100 ml of red wine was poured into a glass from the container G 45 minutes after start of cooling, and 100 ml of red wine was poured into a glass from the container G 60 minutes after start of cooling. The liquid level of the red wine in the wine bottle came down under the temperature measurement position of the upper portion in the wine bottle 30 minutes after start of cooling because 200 ml of red wine was poured into the glass from the container G. Consequently, the temperature of the upper portion in the wine bottle was not measured 30 minutes or more after start of cooling. Also, the liquid level of the red wine in the wine bottle came down under the temperature measurement position of the middle portion in the wine bottle 60 minutes or more after start of cooling because 400 ml in total of red wine was poured into the glass from the container G. Consequently, the temperature of the middle portion in the wine bottle was not measured 60 minutes or more after start of cooling.

Next, the experimental results of cold insulation performance of the heat-storage member 10 according to the present example will be described in more detail by using FIG. 21(b) with reference to FIG. 21(a). FIG. 21(b) is a table summarizing the experimental results of cold insulation performance of the heat-storage member 10 according to the present example. The target temperature shown in the table in FIG. 21(b) indicates the target temperature of the red wine in the case where the red wine was cooled by using the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example, and the target temperature was set to be 16° C. to 18° C., which was a temperature suitable for drinking the red wine. Also, the target time required shown in the table in FIG. 21(b) indicates a target time required for cooling the red wine at room temperature to the target temperature by using the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example, and the target time required was set to be 20 minutes. Also, the time required shown in the table in FIG. 21(b) indicates the time required for the temperature of the red wine of the middle portion in the wine bottle to reach 18° C., which was the upper limit of the target temperature, from room temperature in the graph of the temperature change of the red wine shown in FIG. 21(a), and the time required was 13 minutes. Also, the target maintenance time shown in the table in FIG. 21(b) indicates the target time for which the red wine that had been originally at room temperature was maintained at the target temperature by using the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example, and the maintenance time was set to be 120 minutes. Also, the maintenance time shown in the table in FIG. 21(b) indicates the time, for which the temperature of the red wine of the lower portion in the wine bottle was maintained at the target temperature of 16° C. to 18° C., in the graph of the temperature change of the red wine shown in FIG. 21(a), and the maintenance time was 127 minutes. As described above, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could rapidly cool the red wine included in the cold insulation target B from room temperature to 18° C., which was the upper limit of the target temperature, in 13 minutes, which was within the target time required, and thereafter, could maintain the red wine at the target temperature of 16° C. to 18° C. for 127 minutes, which was longer than the target maintenance time. In this regard, the temperature of 200 ml of red wine poured into the glass 30 minutes after start of cooling of the cold insulation target B was 17.5° C., the temperature of 100 ml of red wine poured into the glass 45 minutes after start of cooling of the cold insulation target B was 16.6° C., and the temperature of 100 ml of red wine poured into the glass 60 minutes after start of cooling of the cold insulation target B was 16.7° C.

Meanwhile, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example includes the heat-insulating layer 3 arranged beyond the temperature maintenance layer 2. Consequently, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example improves the cooling effect of the rapid-cooling layer 1. Therefore, the amount of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material 1 a can be reduced compared with those of the cold insulation members 10 according to Examples 3 and 6 above.

As described above, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example could rapidly cool the red wine included in the cold insulation target B from room temperature to 18° C., which was the upper limit of the target temperature, in 13 minutes, which was within the target time required, and thereafter, could maintain the red wine at the target temperature of 16° C. to 18° C. for 127 minutes, which was longer than the target maintenance time. In addition, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example can reduce the material cost by decreasing the amount of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material. As described above, the cold insulation member 10 according to the present example can be favorably used as a wine cooler for red wine.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be variously modified.

In Example 1 above, the cold insulation member 10 has a cylindrical shape with open upper surface and bottom surface but is not limited to this. For example, the bottom of the cold insulation member 10 may be closed by the rapid-cooling layer 1 and the temperature maintenance layer 2. Also, the cold insulation member 10 may have a hollow prism shape. Also, for example, the cross-sectional shape cut along a plane orthogonal to the center axis of the cold insulation member 10 is not limited to a circular shape and may be an elliptical shape or a polygonal shape with tree or more sides.

In this regard, in each of the above-described examples, the cold insulation member 10 is used as the wine cooler, but the present invention is not limited to these. The cold insulation member according to the present invention may be used for cooling perishable foods and processed foods of vegetables, fish, meat, fruit, and the like and organs used for organ transportation, for example.

Also, the cold insulation member according to the present invention may be arranged in a cold insulation container, e.g., a cooler box. The cold insulation container including the cold insulation member according to the present invention can be used for, for example, a wine cooler, a cooler box for cooling perishable foods, processed foods, organs, and the like.

In this regard, technical features (constituents) described in the above-described examples can be combined with each other, and new technical features can be formed by combinations.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention can be widely used for cold insulation members including heat-storage materials.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

1 rapid-cooling layer

1 a rapid-cooling heat-storage material

1 b rapid-cooling heat-storage material accommodation portion

2 temperature maintenance layer

2 a temperature maintenance heat-storage material

2 b temperature maintenance heat-storage material accommodation portion

10 cold insulation member

3 heat-insulating layer

4, 5 connection portion

B cold insulation target

G container

L liquid 

1. A cold insulation member comprising: a rapid-cooling layer which includes a rapid-cooling heat-storage material for rapidly cooling a cold insulation target to a predetermined temperature zone in a predetermined time and a rapid-cooling heat-storage material accommodation portion for accommodating the rapid-cooling heat-storage material and which is arranged in a peripheral portion of the cold insulation target; and a temperature maintenance layer which includes a temperature maintenance heat-storage material for maintaining the cold insulation target in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer and a temperature maintenance heat-storage material accommodation portion for accommodating the temperature maintenance heat-storage material and which is arranged beyond the rapid-cooling layer.
 2. The cold insulation member according to claim 1, wherein the temperature maintenance heat-storage material has a phase change temperature higher than the phase change temperature of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material.
 3. The cold insulation member according to claim 1, wherein the rapid-cooling heat-storage material has a phase change temperature lower than the predetermined temperature zone.
 4. The cold insulation member according to claim 1, wherein the temperature maintenance heat-storage material has a phase change temperature lower than the predetermined temperature zone.
 5. The cold insulation member according to claim 1, wherein part of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material is in a solid phase state and another part is in a liquid phase state in the temperature zone in which the cold insulation target is rapidly cooled.
 6. The cold insulation member according to claim 1, wherein part of the temperature maintenance heat-storage material is in a solid phase state and another part is in a liquid phase state in the temperature zone maintained at a predetermined temperature of the cold insulation target.
 7. The cold insulation member according to claim 1, comprising: a heat-insulating layer which is arranged beyond the temperature maintenance layer and which includes a heat-insulating material.
 8. The cold insulation member according to claim 1, wherein a total value of the amount of latent heat and the amount of sensible heat of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material is larger than the amount of cooling required for cooling the cold insulation target to the predetermined temperature zone, and the temperature maintenance heat-storage material has an amount of latent heat required for maintaining the cold insulation target in the predetermined temperature zone for the predetermined time or longer.
 9. The cold insulation member according to claim 1, wherein the rapid-cooling layer has flexibility at the phase change temperature of the rapid-cooling heat-storage material.
 10. The cold insulation member according to claim 1, comprising: a plurality of rapid-cooling layers, wherein the plurality of rapid-cooling layers are connected to each other. 